Improvement in breech-loading fire-arms



of Connecticut; have invented new and use'frdl 'Improvements in Breech-Loading Fire-Arms; and I do hereby declare the following to be a -fu'll, clear, and exactdescriptionof the con-- in eonneetionwith the 'accompanying drawon, and which said .drawings constitute part of 1section; Fig. 3, a transverse section frame; Fig. 4, a transverse'section'through'-ft,I

7 seetanthmngnee toiiiustratethe-operative into the barrel of firearms, and a-"still' greater charge, Vwhen no automaticV contrivance .is at- `taehed to the arm for the purpose, and also v struct and use my improved re-arm, I will metallic eartridge,which consists of a metallic lease containing the .powderywith a bullet at# Ltached'to one end ofthe case, and a rimer -iange at lthe opposite' end (the rear) for oontaining the detonating'material.

y 'A Vis a metallic frame, with tangs B G. for

UNITED STATES PATENT FFlCEs FORDYCE BEALs, or NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

MPRovl-:M ENT IN mascia-LOADING FIRE-ARMS.

.-Specilicatiou forming part of Letters Patent No. 43,284, dated June 23, 1864.

Tow-dll whom' it 'may concern,.- Be it lguown that I, FORDYCE BEALs, ofN ew Haven, 1n the county 'of -New Haven and State struction and operation ofthe same, when taken ings and the letters of reference marked there- 'this specification, and represent, in-.1

Figure 1, Va side view; Fig. 2, a longitudinal cutting through 1- 2 to illustrate the Constructienofthe,l

andFig.- 5 a top View to illustrate the manner of holding the cartridge; Fig.. 6, a transverse mechanism for-.throwing out the-discharged shell, and inFigs. V7 and8a' different arrangement on the recoil-'plate for holding the car-- bridge.I

Similar letters in the several figures indicate like parts. i y

The difficulty of inserting metalliccartridges difficulty in withdrawing the shell after dis#- the liabilityof such automatic apparatus failing to perform its duty, has suggested the-im# .proveniepts for whieh'lnow' ask security by Letters Patent. r

To enable others skilled in the art to'. conproee'edto fully describe the same.

My lire-arm is designed to use the commonv the purpose.v of securing the-frame to' a woodv stock.

D is the hammer, set ina mortise or slot' in' the frame, (see Fig. 5,) and hung upon a pivot, E, which passes through the frame from side to side. Force for the blowv is given to* `the hammer by a mainspring, F, 'xe'd to one of the tangs B or C, (represented as 'on 0;)

G is. a trigger and sear combined.v It is hung in the vframeAon a pivot, a. A spring,

Upon the under side of'the barrel, and ex# tending down and -fitting between the two parts of the frame A andfAZ, is a guide,.K.

In the said guide-K, I form two slots, b and d',

and I insertscrews b and d through the frame and islet, the'ody hrthe-screws ttingtheslots. This arrangement allows the barrel to be moved forward and back, slidingvon the. frame.'- Byturning the screws b and d in will draw the two sides A and A more closely against the guide Kand hold the barrel tightf yer; or .by loosening the said screws thfepressf nre-'upon the guide K will be relieved, and then the barrel may be adj usted to slide more or less free at pleasure.

Lis a lever hung in the frame A upon a pivot, @,and is curved to forma triggcrguard,

and Valso to form. fa. viirigerliold, L. When. drawnup to the"lower tang, (Lof the frame,

'as i11 Fig.'1,la spriug-latcm Fig.' l', catches into a noteh inf the said tang to hold the levervin its proper position for discharging the a'rin.

The said lever L is connected to the barrel by a rod, M, jointed to both, as 'seen in Fig. 2, m m. By lowering the leverL from the posi-v tion in Fig'. 1 (thesame position shown in red,

Fig. 2) to the positiony denoted 'in black, `jFig`. 2, the barrel will be slid `forward ou the `frame A, guided bythe screws b and d in the slots b and d. By returning the saidlever to thev position in Fig. land in red, Fig. 2, thebarrel will 'be' returned and held firmly against the recoil-plate'N. VOn the said recoilplate I; x three stationary hooks, ttt'. The lower one maysimply be a pin projecting freni therecoilplate. (See Figs. 2, 4, vand 5.). The hooks all turnjinward to the Center, as shown. I

make recesses in the rear of the barrel to re- `eeive the said hooks. lThese said hooks are within the hooks iii. tridge axially with the barrel and opposite cartridge.

O is a hook attached to the lever L, and eX- tends back to the hammer. As thelever L is drawn down, it takes with it the said hook O forward from the position in red to the position in black, Fig. 2. In this movement the hook catches upon apin, o, (or maybe a notch in the hammer,) to half-cock, for the purpose hereinafter show-n.

P is a lever for throwing out the shell ofan exploded cartridge, (or an unexploded cartridge, if it is necessary to draw the charge unexploded.) It is hung upon a pivot, o".

One arm, P, is operated by the lever L in the following` manner: On the side of the said lever L,I form a stud, s. (See Figs. 6 and 2.) As the lever L is drawn down from the position in red to that 'in black, Fig. 2, the said stud s strikes the lever P, and draws it down also from its position in red to that in black, Fig. 2. -In this movement of the lever P its other end, P', which is made a spring, presses against the cartridge-shell, as in black, for the purpose hereinafter shown. A spring, t, serves to return the lever P to the position in red after it has performed its duty. The barrel of the arm being moved forward and the hammer at half-cock, as in Fig. 2, in black, set a charged metallic cartridge, T, against the rccoil-plate N, the rim or flange This will hold the carthe bore. Draw the lever L up to the position denoted in red." The cartridge will enter the boreof the barrel, and the barrel will be drawn back against the recoil-plate, a recess being made in the rear end of the barrel, so that the barrel may set over the yrim of the Set the hammer at full-cock, release 'it in the ordinary manner by pulling the trigger, andthe cartridge will be discharged by the blow given it by the fall of the hammer. The hammer, still resting on the discharged shell, holds it (the shell) firmly where it'wa-s placed. Release the leverL by pressing back the latch f. Lower the said lever L, in which operation the barrel is moved forward from and leaves the shell inthe hooks, where it was set. In the same operation the lever P is forced do'wn, as before fully shown, its spring end P pressing against the shell, as shown in solid black lines.. .Move the levervLa little farther down, to theposition denotedin black,in which movement the hook O draws thehammerback to half-cock. As soon as the hammeris moved from the shell, the spring-lever P will spring scribed of the-'lever L, hook the shell from the hooks. Move the lever still farther on, to the position denoted in blue. The lever P will be released from the operation of the notch or stud s, on the lever L, as shown, v

and, by the actionof the springt, will ily back to the position denoted in red. Now, insert a second cartridge, as before, draw the lever. back to the position denoted in red, and the arm is ready for a second discharge. It is necessary in returning the lever L that the stud s on the said lever L should pass the lever P, in

order to draw -it (the lever P) down, as before. I do this as shown in Fig. 6. That partof the lever P between the fulcrum and its forward end is made thin, so as to spring sidewise, and the stud s upon the lever L is made inclined, so that as the leverL is moved upward theinclined stud s forces the lever P to one side until the said stud passes the said lever P. Then the lever P springs back under the stud, so as to be moved down by the stud when the lever L is again lowered.-

I have described the means of holding `the cartridge or shell at the recoil-plate as by three hooks, 'i' 'i i, ortwo hooks-one upon each side-- and a pin at the bottom. A groove may, however, be formed on the recoil-plate, (see Figs. 7 and 8,) into which the flange or rim vof the cartridge will set and hold as well as the hooks described; but I prefer .the hooks, as they are made with less difficulty, and are consequent- 'ly cheaper, also are not as liable to becomeA choked or clogged as Athe groove by rust o r from other causes.

y I do notv broadly claimI sliding thebarrel for ward from the recoil-plate, as such is not new. Neither do I claim opening the breech for loading by means of a lever underneath the frame, which said lever also forms the' triggerguard, as such is not new. Neither do I broadly claim automatically removing a discharged .cartridgeshell or an uuexploded cartridge, as

the devices for this purpose are numerous.

I do not claim holding or attaching the cartridge tothe recoil-plate for the purpose of loading or withdrawing, as such is not new, Neither do I claim automatically halfcooking the hammer, as such is not newg-but What I do no claim as new and useful, and

y desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination and4 arrangement described of the lever L and springlever P, for the purpose specified. 1

2. The combination and arrangement defor the purpose specied Witnesses:

JOHN E. EARLE,

RUFUs SANFORD.

nonnvcn snails. f 

